Record Auto-Vice 74 - Questions and restoration

[OrneryDuck]

Good evening gents!

Quite some time ago I had acquired a large selection of interesting tools from my father-in-law. Don't worry as he is still very much alive and well, just very generous. Something about in the old days a man would get sheep in pay for entering into marriage with another man's daughter or something of that sort... In any case, he didn't have sheep nor would I have wanted them! So here we are, I gained a lovely and supportive wife as well as some fantastic tools.

Since he hails from New Zealand, most are of old-world origins and date back to a time when men were men and tools were tools. I've been ignoring them for far too long but that all changes tonight; starting with this vice!

We're looking at a 4" mechanics-style vice manufactured by Record out of Sheffield, England. The specific model is an Auto-Vice No. 74, though I'm at a loss regarding the age and am open to any assistance one of experience may wish to provide. What little I do know about this vice lends to it being a somewhat-favored little unit. Despite the exposed lead screw, it is well-sized and has a stout carriage, pipe bending radius, screw-fastened jaw heads, an anvil point and hammering-button located on the static jaw and though mine is curiously absent; I've read that they include a quick-release swivel base.

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Despite the paint loss, occasional paint gain, nicks and overall wear; it still functions flawlessly! The jaws have very-little, if-any slack and the lead screw slides smoothly from closed to fully extended with only a finger's effort. He may have been hard on it but he always maintained the working parts and that shows.

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After a bit of light cleaning I found a glimmer of original paint hiding behind all the grime.

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I'd love to match the original color if anyone is familiar with the exact finish. Otherwise I may be taking a chip of what is left to the store and hoping age hasn't changed the hue too greatly. Would any off-the-shelf spray primer and enamel (Engine block paint) be adequate or should I look for a specific hardened finish? I've also seen some other Record vice restorations where the lettering was pinned in gold paint. Was the same detail employed on the No. 74's or were they just a solid-color body?

Tomorrow's mission is to acquire a brass-wire wheel and start stripping away the current 'finish', followed by a bit of primer to keep oxidation at bay. I'm assuming the levers are to be left bare metal much the same as the carriage?

 

[2oolhound]

I'm not seeing the photos...

 

[Van Steele]

Record 74's were all red, including the lettering and made of cast steel - the red colour was to differentiate them from the normally blue Record vices who were cast iron. Earlier models, to me, seemed to have a much darker hue than the later ones, although that could be due to ageing.
The earliest models also had a fine pitched leadscrew, but I have never seen one with a quick release mechanism, early or late.
I've seen four different castings of the static jaw part:
-one with the lettering "RECORD 74" on one side and "MADE IN ENGLAND" on the other side.
-one with RECORD No 74" on one side and "MADE IN ENGLAND" on the other side.
-one with "RECORD Auto-Vice 74" on one side and "MADE IN ENGLAND" on the other side.
-one with "RECORD Auto-Vice No 74" on one side and "PATENT No 810723/28 MADE IN ENGLAND" on the other side.
The latter two also had two holes on the one side just beneath the anvil.
The movable jaw usually had a white decal of a hand holding an oil can in a small circle underneath the oiling hole. On the front jaw I've seen two different decals, a translucent background with "Record" in gold, and a blue background with "GENUINE RECORD TRADEMARK MADE IN ENGLAND".
The movable jaw has jigs at the bottom to bend brake pipes, the top anvil puck is removable, held in with a square-head bolt from the side.
Accessories included soft jaws and a threaded rod to let the vice hold cylinder heads through a spark plug hole.

 

[OrneryDuck]

I've updated the image links, they should be working now.

Thanks for the input Van Steele! Mine sounds like a slight variation of the latter two in your list. I may have found inaccurate information due to the sparse amount available via Google to this specific model. Oddly my searches all resulted in the Grand Theft Auto 3 video game; no matter if I searched 'vice' or 'vise'.

 

[OrneryDuck]

Took to the vice with stove cleaner last night. Sadly I ran short but it still did a great job for what was available.

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After a little (a lot) of brake cleaner and a few rags I had it broken down and mostly clean.
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There is still a little bit of caked on grime holding up fort in the nooks and crannies, but the wire wheel should be able to make short work of them before moving on to paint. I decided on Rustoleum Etching Primer and Rustoleum Medium Red (Paint color to follow later) for the base color.

I'm not sure what I want to do regarding the jaw inserts, lead screw handle and carriage. Should I just clean these up as best I can with a mild abraisive polish? What do I use to keep corrosion at bay?

 

[Warrenator]

I'd use Barkeeper's Friend as a rust remover/metal polish, then either paste wax or linseed oil as a finish. But it is very dry where I live, so not needing much to keep Mr. Rust away.

 

[OrneryDuck]

What about for the handle -- it seems to have remained resistant to corrosion thus far; are they typically made from a metal that is more resistant to rust or is there a coating applied that I should renew along the way?

 

[robinh]

I'm sorry not to offer you the help you request but I would like to ask a question. I am trying to buy replacement fibre jaws to fit my own record 74; I am not at home at present and wonder if you could measure the width of the vice jaws excluding any fibre faced additions – so just the width of the jaw itself.

I would be most grateful.

 

[pajaro1605]

Hi...
Does anyone know what the two holes are for?
Thanks.

 

[klowe285]

The two holes were to hold engine valves.